Support service for Indigenous youth to close over funding loss

Murri Watch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation will cease its frontline youth support services in Queensland watch houses on June 30 after the end of State government funding, prompting warnings about the safety and wellbeing of detained children and young people.

The Brisbane-based not-for-profit said the loss of support would create significant risks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as the service ensured hygiene, food, and medical needs were met during watch house detention.

Key Points

Murri Watch has raised concerns the closure will pose a risk to safety and wellbeing for children and young people in detention.

The organisation and the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP) are scheduled to meet with the Queensland government this month.

In the last financial year, the charity supported 1,233 young people across 16 watch houses in the state. Locations included Brisbane, Caboolture, Southport, Mackay, Townsville, and Cairns.

Murri Watch described its work as supporting children in their most vulnerable moments. The service focused on practical care and cultural support while young people were detained in facilities intended as short-term holding locations for people under arrest and being processed, awaiting transfer to another centre or a first court appearance.

Watch house conditions

A major review into the State’s watch houses, released last year, found that adults spent an average of 118 hours in watch houses, while children spent an average of 161 hours. The report stated it was not uncommon for some stays to significantly exceed these averages, including instances of periods over 14 days.

The review also noted that First Nations people were disproportionately represented in Queensland’s justice system. It cited Murri Watch as a key service provider within that context.

Government response

A spokesperson for the State’s youth justice minister Laura Gerber said the government had delivered a record $560 million investment in early intervention and rehabilitation to restore safety. The spokesperson said programs were being rolled out across the state, including 22 First Nations-led organisations delivering 28 new services.

The statement framed the investment as part of broader efforts to restore community safety and expand services statewide. No alternative funding arrangement for Murri Watch’s program was outlined in the statement.

Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak’s deputy chief executive officer Murray Benton said Murri Watch played a critical role in culturally grounded responses across the state’s justice and policing systems. He said the organisation’s work remained central to community-controlled approaches that keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people safe when it matters most.

Murri Watch was established in 1991, shortly before the recommendations arising from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody were handed down. The organisation is based in Brisbane and operates statewide services.